Nightspotting 2.0

October 2008

Move over, Black Wednesday. By our estimation, Tuesday, November 4th is shaping up to be the biggest party night of the year. Even if you didn’t score a ticket to the official Obama rally in Grant Park, there are plenty of places to party with the politicos, no matter whom you vote for. Whether you end up celebrating a win or licking your wounds, you’ll want company. Get it, along with a multitude of drink specials, at these local bars—and keep reading for a quick Halloween heads-up. . .

This week, two newfangled neighborhood taverns in up-and-coming Logan Square: The Whistler, a
hipster-bar-slash-creative- space from the guys behind the local label
Whistler Records, and Logan Bar & Grill, a
sibling to the longtime Bucktown staple Northside Bar & Grill…

The economy’s in the toilet. Your mutual funds are tanking. And you can’t sell your condo because the real-estate market has crashed. But just because we’re in a tailspin doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time. Bars all over town are offering bailout plans of the drink-deal kind. Our day-by-day guide…

This week, two newbies in River North: Dirty Martini, the happy hour hot spot with martinis on tap (yes, you read that right), and Crescendo, which opened on a high note earlier this summer before closing soon after, now under new management…

The Suite Life
Last Friday was the media and VIP party for Vertigo Sky Lounge (see photos), the new bar on the 26th floor of the Dana Hotel and Spa. As I reported in July, Vertigo, which boasts a rooftop deck, was supposed to open over the summer, but when shorts-and-sandals season passed with no opening date, anticipation waned a bit. Thankfully the weather complied last weekend, and the deck was packed with revelers—or, rather, smokers. Yes, smoking is…

Seen on the scene Friday night: VIP partygoers at the private opening of Vertigo Sky Lounge in the Dana Hotel and Spa, and celeb DJ and friend of Lohan Samantha Ronson
spinning at Crimson Lounge in the Hotel Sax.

In what turned out to be a truly memorable evening, I finally tied the knot a couple of weeks ago at the Drake Hotel. Since my marital status has changed, it seemed like the title of my blog should, too; hence “Nightspotting 2.0,” a nod to my longtime print column in Chicago magazine. And now that my mini-moon to the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach is over, I’m back pounding the pavement to bring you the latest from the nightlife front every Thursday—and check in Mondays for weekend photos from the scene. But first, for those who sweated out the prewedding jitters with me via the blog, a few highlights from the big event…